Electric receptacle



June 28, 1960 J. A. HERRMANN ErAL 2,943,292

ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE Original Filed Oct. 20 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wel izzaffff-zg.

June 28, 1960 J. A. HERRMANN ETAL 2,943,292

ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE original Filed o'ot. 2o, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 JES 4 nue/V57 2,943,292 ELECTRIC REcEPTAcLE John A. Herrmann, Grosse lPointe Farms, and Elwood-T.-

Platz and Donald B. Robinson, Detroit, Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments, to I-T-E Circuit Breaker Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a 'corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Oct. 20, 1951,y Ser. No. 252,272. Divided and this application Jan. 3, 1956', Ser. No.

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-79) conductors', and outlet receptacles and' feed-in devicesV that are readilyattachable to the duct at any point along its length. The receptacle used is of .the type vthat contains a plurality of apertures into which conventional pronged connector plugs can be inserted. l

This.v application is a division ofV application number 252,272, now abandoned, which was. tiled October. 1951, and assigned to the assignee of Athis applicationf, A primary object of the invention .iste provide an outlet receptacle for-use in a continuous outlet distribution system which iseasily and directly vco'nuectible'there-v States Patent:

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i Fig. 5 isa side view of the ease looking in thedirec-k tion of arrows 5-5 of Fig'. 4.

Fig. 6-is a cross-section of one contact taken throughV line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings a 'receptacle 6 5, which is an .embodiment of the invention, is shown in positio'n on a conductor duct 3. The conductor duct 3 which is shown in cross -section in Fig. 2 supplies electric current to the receptacle. The duct 3 comprises a body portion formed of a relatively thin flat strip of dielectric material' that has the side edges 3a., 3b thereof folded over on the body portion of duct 3 but spaced veryV slightly abo've the body portion 3 so as to provide slots that receive the pair of conductors 11, 13. The conductor duct 3 includes a rib 4 which is integrally formed with the body portion and which is slightly offset from the center line thereof. I Rib 4 functions to'polarize the to at any point along its lengthfwithout requiring piercing of the conductor insulator covering, or any other type v of connection that may requiretools or special working.

Another object is to provide a novel type'of'outlet receptacle that is easily and positively attachable to the continuous outlet conductors, this receptacle` being of simplified design and presenting an Vattractivefunctional appearance. v

Another object is to provide a means for establishing the polarity of the outlet receptacle so it can be attached to the conductor duct in onlyV one way to insure proper fusing ofthe system, etc., or in instances having one wire grounded, the grounded conductor may be uniformly recognized by its relation to' the polarizing scheme employed.

Another object is to provide a detachable outlet receptacle for such a distribution system designed so that it is impossible to detach the receptacle from the duct while there are pronged plug connectors (which would indicate a load) attached to the outlet receptacle. This arrangement is such that arcing, if any occurs, willalways be between the connector plug prongs and the associated receptacle contact apertures rather than between the receptacle connections to the duct conductors within the distribution system.

n A further object of this invention is to provide a snap-on outlet receptacle having positive, direct electrical contact between theV receptacle and the duct conductors.

Still other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the description and drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top elevational view of a receptacle, which is an embodiment of the invention, attached to' a conductor duct.

Fig. 2 is sectional elevational view along line 2--2 of Fig. 1 showing the receptacle attached to a conductor duct.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the receptacle along line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a back view of the receptacle case.

distribution system toinsureproper fusing, and connection o'f the receptacles and equipment connected thereto.

For further detailed description of the Vconductor ductA reference is made to copending divisional applit'cation4 Serial Number 556,907, tiled January 3, 1,956' of the above mentioned application,252,272. f 1' As illustrated in Figs.` l, 2 and 3, 'the` 'receptacle 65 comprises substantially av hollow, box-like case 66' of' suitable dielectric material and having afsubstantially square cross -seetion thathas a substantially closed front` wall 70 (Fig. 2) and a open back side. The lower 'edges of a pair of opposedside kwalls of the vcase 66 are notched as at 67 (Fig. 2) to provide 'openings' to receiveY the polarizing rib 4 of the duct strp.3. Notches 67 insure that the receptacle 65 will be properly positioned on the duct strip 3` so' that its contact elements 68 and 69 `cari have their free ends 71,72 selec'tivelyrnoved into and out of engagement with the duct conductors 11, 13. Case 66 include'sjintermediate wall 70 extending lrearwardly Vintermediate the front and back of the. case.' Front wallV 7t l' has openings-98 therethrough thatreceivefthe body portions 78 and'79 (Fig.'2) of the contact elements .68 and 69. While the body portions ofthe co'ntac'ts 68 r and 69"afre located in recesses 98 inthe front wall"70fof case 66,;'the free end'p'ortion's 71, 72 respectively'of contacts 68, 69 are located inthe open area to the rear of intermediate wall 70. Outwardly extending ears97 slotted outwardV of contacts 68, `69 are disposed within extensions 95, 96 of recesses v98.

Rotatably mounted inthe central opening 99 defined by intermediate wall 70 of the case 66 is a hollow shaft 73 that carries at its outer end the circular locking knob 74. The knob 74 has a pair of diametrically opposed slots 75 piercing its top surface which slots are adapted to receive a pair of plug-in connector prongs. The shaftV 73 has an axially projecting stud 76 on its lower end that extends into the open area past the back end of wall 70. Stud 76 has xedly mounted thereon a cam plate 80 Y that is adapted to be rotated by the knob 74 to cause actuation of therfree ends 71 and 72 of the L-shaped contact elements 68and 69. Cam plate 80 is xedly held'o'n the stud 76Vby means of the spring clip fastener 77 (Fig. 3). Y Y

On rotation of therknob 74 in a clockwise direction, after placement of the receptacle 65 on the duct strip 3, the cam plate 80 will force the free ends 71 and 72 of the contact elements 68 and 69 outwardly into engagement with the duct conductors 11, 13 so as to lock the receptacle 65 to the duct 3 and establish at the same time a good electrical connection between duct conductors 11, 13 and the contact elements 68, 69 of theV receptacle 65. Rotation ofthe knob 74 is limited to a ninety degree arc by stop members 81 (see Fig. l) that are mounted on the top of case 66 and seat in arcuate slots 82 formed in the underside of the knob 74. The

2,943,292 y Patented JuneLZS, 1960.

l., front wall 70 of the case 66 as seen in Fig. 2 also has a pair of diametrically opposed slots 84, comprising the inner portions of recesses 98 between walls 84a, 84b, extending therethrough and arranged to receive the prongs 85 (Fig. 2) of a conventional plug-in connector. With the specic arrangement of slots 75, 84 the knob 7.4 must be rotated 90 'degrees clockwise from its normal detached position to bring the knob slots4 75 into alignment with the case slots 84. After alignment o f slots 75, 84 the pronged contacts of a plug-in connector may be inserted through the slots 75 and into the slots 84. The prongsV 8 5 will bear against the receptacle contact elements body portions 78, 79,510 as to establish an electrical contact with the contact elements 68, 69. The pronged plug inserted in the receptacle 65 must first be removed from tliej receptacle '65 before the knob 74 can be rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise todisengage'cam plate 80 from'l the contacts 68, 69 so 'as to permit the springlike contacts 68, 69 to retract to the positions shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. Y

Cam plate 80 is provided with slots 91 which are aligned with knob slots 75. Slots 91 are provided to receive the tips of lengthy cap prongs.

After the contact elements free ends 71, 72 have retracted to the positions shown inbroken lines in Fig. '2 then the receptacle 65 can be detached from the duct strip 3. To attach the receptacle to the duct` strip 3 it is' necessary to' merely align the case notches with the polarizing rib 4 and thereafter rotate the knob 74 through a 90 degree clockwiseturn to align the prong receiving slots 75, 84. Rotation of the knob 74 clockwise causes cam plate S to force contact fingers 71, '72 apart to seat in the slo'ts beneath the lips 3a, 3b and contact the conductors 11, 13. Receptacle 65 is now locked on duct 3 and electrically connected tothe conductors 11, 13.

The above specification presents a novel outlet receptacle for use in a continuous duct electrical distribution system. Polarizatio'n of the receptacle provides a safe, efficient readily usable source of electricity.

For a determination of the scope of the invention reference should be had to the following claim in which we claim: Y

An outlet receptacle adapted to be removably mounted to an electric distribution system, said receptacle co'mprising a case having a pair of prong receiving apertures extending to the interior thereof, a pair of prong receiving contact elements mounted within the case and aligned with the prong receiving apertures, a pair of spaced resilient conductor engaging contacts having portions xedly mounted within recesses of said case with each contact being integrally formed with an individual one of said prong receiving contact elements, and rotatable means including a cam plate carried by said case and when rotated in a first direction being operative through the engagement of said cam plate edge with said conductor engaging contacts to move end portions of said conductor engaging contacts from a first to a second position; said end portions being more widely spaced when in said second position than when in said first position; said conductor engaging contacts including integral biasing means urging said end portions against said cam plate edge to said first position; said rotatable means including a pair of prong receiving apertures aligned with said case prong receiving apertures when said end portions are in said second position; said pairs of prong receiving apertures being out of register with each other when said end portions are in said first position; said case also' comprising means for establishing rotational limits for said rotatable means to thereby provide a first and a second position for said rotatable means corresponding to the first and second positions for said end portions of said co'nductor engaging contacts; said case also including notches operatively positioned to receive an `olf-center polarizing rib of said electric distribution system only when said receptacle is positioned in a predetermined relationship With respect to said electric distribution system; said rib being operatively positioned to prevent mounting of said receptacle to said electric distribution system except in said predetermined relationship.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,170,285 Fisher et al Aug. 22, 1939 2,175,472 Kuhlman Oct. 10, 1939 2,309,972 Messing Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 116,841 Germany T Jan. 8, 1901 

